How They Install the Teak Deck

Holland America Line is well-known for having beautiful teak decks that add to the traditional nautical feel of its ships. Chief Officer Andre van Schoohoven told us they have started installing the teak decks on Eurodam. He sent us photos and explained the process:

First, the deck is very thoroughly cleaned using a machine in which thousands of little steel balls vibrate (kind of like a silverware polishing machine). After that, 1-inch-wide (25 mm) steel strips are welded to the deck. These strips will be used later to form the gutters. In this photo, a strip is being installed where the holes later will be cut to hold the teak doors leading from the forward passenger staircase onto the Lower Promenade Deck.

In this photo you can see the prefabricated pieces of planking already fastened to stainless-steel spacer strips. The ends slot into each other. Where there are curves or obstructions, the planks are cut to size using an electric jigsaw.

Onto the cleaned deck is poured Sikaflor, a two-component leveling compound. Once set, the compound is sanded to ensure a smooth, level surface. The teak is then glued onto this surface using Sikaflex, a rubber-based adhesive. Sikaflex will also be used later on to caulk the seams between the planks.

The little blue bags are filled with sand, these are spread over the planks to press them down while the adhesive cures to prevent air bubbles from getting trapped under the planks.